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Synopsis Human rights are foreign to no culture and native to all nations, they are universal. One cannot pick and choose among human rights; whether civil, cultural, economic, political or social; human rights are indivisible and interdependent. And as this century’s bloody history has taught us, the absence of human rights is more than a denial of human dignity; it is also at the root of the poverty and political violence that plague our world. This broad vision of human rights is the touchstone for all that the United Nations seeks to achieve in its global mission of peace and sustainable development. Since its inception, the United Nations has been a primary catalyst for the worldwide promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. One of the oranization’s earliest achievements was the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a far-reaching document that since its adoption in 1948 has served as the foundation for all subsequent human rights work and become ever more deeply integrated into the fabric of national and international life, both ethically and judiciously. Genocide has been committed twice in this decade alone. People around the world continue to be subjected to discrimination because of race religion, gender or political belief. Millions of men, women, and children lack food, shelter, access to medical care, education and work. Too many governments have yet to ratify or even sign too many of the major human rights conventions. Building a world of respect for human dignity and social justice is a job – a responsibility – for everyone. This work is a pioneering effort in bringing out encyclopaedic information on the theme.